The Pontiff Versus the Mogul (“President Trump prepares to meet Pope Francis as his recently released budget shows just how different his philosophy is from the one that drives the leader of the world’s Catholics.” Trump’s budget is basically the antithesis of Jesus’ teachings.)

Trump’s budget scam (“All presidents fudge the numbers. But this one represents a new level of deception.”)

Trump’s Budget Is Built On A Fantasy (“Leave aside, then, the details of what Trump is proposing and focus instead on how he is proposing it: via economic projections that have little basis in reality.”)

Ed Gillespie Debuts New Ad in Virginia Gubernatorial Race (Hahahaha, “Enron Ed” actually BRAGS about helping to author the disastrous “Contract with America” AND advise Dubya? What a nut! Also, it’s laughable that this Swamp Creature personified would “stand up to special interests.” This entire ad is a bad joke, but apparently Gillespie is counting on voters being ignorant.)

Editorial: Wagner talks Southwest Virginia (Wagner “wants to build roads. Lots of them, too, which he happily ticks off like a shopping list: a wider Interstate 81, the Coalfields Expressway in the coalfields, and the proposed Interstate 73.” Instead, we should focus on high-speed rail. Imagine if people could get from Wise County to Richmond and beyond in 2 hours or whatever?)

“Mike Mulvaney, President Trump’s budget director, said of the proposed budget, ‘We’re not going to measure our success by how much money we spend, but by how many people we actually help.’ By their own standard, therefore, this budget is a miserable failure. The Administration has clearly demonstrated that helping Americans who need it is not the goal of this budget and the last thing on their minds by depriving low income Americans of food stamps; removing children from health insurance (the CHIP program); reducing the amount of nourishing school meals for hungry schoolchildren; eliminating college loan programs for needy students; and limiting affordable health care options.

“If only Mr. Mulvaney would follow his own good advice and actually prioritize helping Americans and making a positive difference in the lives of hardworking Americans. I hope my colleagues, in this case, will listen to his words and figure out how many people we can actually help and write a budget that reflects this sentiment.”

Mr. Perriello’s detailed action plans for each of his key issues has been a driving factor of this endorsement. Policy proposals such as a more progressive tax code that benefits middle class families; replacing the school-to-prison pipeline with a system that focuses on rehabilitation rather than incarceration; and his proposal to amend the VA constitution protecting a woman’s right to choose, prove him to be the kind of candidate the AMW PAC can support and work with in the coming months and years if elected.

“After spending time with members of Tom’s staff and seeing his desire to understand and connect with the Muslim community, we believe he could be true ally for Muslim women in Virginia. He understands that the issues that affect Muslim women and their families are the issues that affect all Virginians. This is a very important race not only for our state, but also for the country, and we believe Tom is the candidate that most aligns with our values as Americans, as Muslims and as Virginians. We’re proud to endorse him,” said Mirriam Seddiq, founder of AMW PAC.

In response to the endorsement, Tom Perriello said, “I am so honored to have the support from the women of AMW PAC, devoted advocates of progressive change. Virginia is stronger when we celebrate our diversity and our fundamental freedoms. But today that Virginia is under attack. While our state has made real progress, there are those in Washington and in our own communities who want to take us backwards through divisive, fear-based politics. This campaign is about standing boldly for the next generation of ideas, ideas that will build a firewall against hate and break down the obstacles of economic and educational opportunity facing too many Virginians today. The momentum is on our side, and together, we can make our state a more welcome home for us all.”

“EMILY’s List is thrilled to endorse seven remarkable pro-choice Democratic women for the Virginia House of Delegates,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List. “Now, more than ever, we need leaders like Delegate Kathleen Murphy, Danica Roem, Hala Ayala, Kelly Fowler, Jennifer Carroll Foy, Wendy Gooditis, and Cheryl Turpin in office to fight back against Republicans in the House of Delegates who have been emboldened by Donald Trump to push dangerous policies that hurt Virginia families. This powerful, diverse group of women will not only fight for good jobs, strong schools, and other progressive values – they will also bring much-needed change to Richmond. Virginia’s state motto is sic semper tyrannis – “thus always to tyrants.” Women are leading the resistance across the country, and by running for office and fighting on the front lines for the people of their state, these seven women show that they are no exception.”

EMILY’s List has also endorsed Susan Platt for lieutenant governor of Virginia.

May 24, 2017 (Washington, DC) – Rep. Beyer issued the following statement today upon learning that Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe would pardon his constituent, Liliana Cruz Mendez, for the minor driving offense which led to her Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation order.

“I’m very happy with this move by Governor McAuliffe to protect a Virginia family,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Helping Liliana is exactly what I hoped and expected the Governor to do. What a contrast between his actions and the senseless move by the Trump Administration to split up a family, a move which deeply hurts American children and won’t help anyone at all.”

Liliana Cruz Mendez is the mother of two children, Danyca (4) and Steven (10), who are US citizens, with her husband Rene Bermudez, who is applying for asylum. The family lives in Falls Church, Virginia.

She was born in El Salvador and came to the United States as a teenager. She was stopped at the border and released, and has since checked in at regular intervals with ICE.

At her last ICE check-in, which followed new Trump Administration immigration orders, she was detained and a deportation order was issued in connection with a minor driving offense four years ago. Governor McAuliffe today pardoned this offense.
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“CBO confirms what we already knew: the GOP health care bill is still a bad bill.”

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) released the following statement on the Congressional Budget Office’s score of the Republican health care bill:

“The CBO confirms what we already knew: the GOP health care bill is still a bad bill. It kicks 23 million people off health care by 2026 and leaves consumers at the mercy of insurance companies when it comes to pre-existing conditions. CBO even confirms that essential services covered under Obamacare including maternity care, mental health and substance abuse benefits would be excluded from some states.”

Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a statement on the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) updated cost estimate of the Republican health care plan:

“President Trump made three very clear promises that under a Republican bill no one would lose coverage, premiums wouldn’t rise, and Americans with pre-existing conditions wouldn’t lose protections. Today’s CBO score confirms again that the Republicans’ TrumpCare bill breaks those promises. Twenty-three million Americans would lose their health insurance by 2026, 14 million fewer people would have Medicaid coverage, and markets would become unstable for one-sixth of the population by 2020. These aren’t just numbers; this bill would cause families in Virginia to lose health insurance. This comes one day after we saw President Trump break his promise not to cut Medicaid by proposing a budget that would slash this critical program, which provides health care for more than one million Virginians, including nearly 600,000 kids. We have to hold President Trump to his promises or Virginians will be stuck with the painful consequences. I hope my Republican colleagues in the Senate will drop their backroom efforts to pass a bill without input from patients and providers, and instead bring Democrats to the table so we can make bipartisan improvements to the nation’s health care system.”

In response to the Congressional Budget Office confirming the deeply destructive nature of the House Republican Repeal and Ripoff bill that Representative Garrett voted for, DCCC Spokesman Cole Leiter issued the following statement:

“There is no issue more personal than healthcare and Garrett voted to take it away from millions of Americans. The Congressional Budget Office’s analysis confirms again that the House Republican repeal bill increases your premiums and deductibles, tosses tens of millions of Americans off their insurance, slaps folks over 50 with an age tax, and destroys protections for people with preexisting conditions. This morally bankrupt bill will cause incredible pain for hardworking Americans, and that’s why its passage will haunt Garrett through Election Day.”